M AY 2 0 0 8 Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 

VOICES
of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina

About IFC’s Gender Program:
IFC supports the participation of women
as well as men, as an important part of its
mission to foster sustainable private sector
growth in developing countries. Recognizing
that aspiring businesswomen are often
prevented from realizing their economic
potential because of gender inequality, IFC
is committed to creating opportunities for
women in business.
About MI-BOSPO:
MI-BOSPO is a leading micro-credit
organization in Bosnia and Herzegovina
targeting women. The organization’s mission
is to economically empower women, led by
the belief that the economically empowered
woman can better influence social change
and contribute to better quality of life within
the family.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acronyms..........................................................................................................................................2
Acknowledgments...........................................................................................................................3
IFC Foreword....................................................................................................................................4
MI-BOSPO Foreword........................................................................................................................5
Executive Summary..........................................................................................................................6
Chapter 1: The Legal and Economic Context Facing Women’s Businesses .
in Bosnia and Herzegovina..............................................................................................................8
Chapter 2: Dealing with Bureaucracy...........................................................................................15
Chapter 3: Bosnian Women: Building Partnerships for Success..................................................24
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................28
Useful Links and Resources............................................................................................................29
Endnotes.........................................................................................................................................30
References......................................................................................................................................31
 Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 

ACRONYMS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This report was prepared by Jozefina Cutura, Many of the women interviewed are MI-
BIH Bosnia and Herzegovina
IFC consultant, and is part of a collaborative BOSPO clients, and the author is grateful to
BEEPS Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Survey effort between IFC’s Gender Program and MI-BOSPO for facilitating the interviews.
MI-BOSPO, a micro-credit provider targeting
CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women The author thanks the many individuals who
women in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
gave valuable feedback on earlier drafts of this
CIDA Canadian International Development Agency
The report is based on desk research and report, including Natalie Africa, Alma Bijedić,
DFID Department for International Development in-depth interviews with ten Bosnian women Mark Blackden, Michael Edberg, Leora Klap-
entrepreneurs in September 2007 whose per, Shahbaz Mavaddat, Nejira Nalić, Carmen
EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
profiles are featured in this report. Interviews Niethammer, and Zouera Youssoufou. Report
EU European Union were also conducted with relevant donors, layout and formatting were prepared by Kate
government agencies, and non-governmental Tallent Design & Communications.
FBIH Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
organizations. The women interviewed
We finally thank the wonderful women
FIAS Foreign Investment Advisory Service run businesses that range from micro-
entrepreneurs who gave up their valuable
enterprises with fewer than 5 employees,
IFC International Finance Corporation time to share the stories of their successes and
to large businesses employing up to 50
challenges, and who serve as the inspiration to
IMF International Monetary Fund workers. While many are in the traditionally
many other Bosnian women and girls as they
women-dominated service sectors, others are
KM Convertible mark chart their economic futures.
branching out to areas such as engineering.
NGO Non-governmental organization

ROSCA Rotating Savings and Credit Association

RS Republika Srpska

UN United Nations

UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund for Women

US United States

USAID United States Agency for International Development

 | Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
IFC FOREWORD
Increasingly, the importance of women’s entre- in MI-BOSPO in 2006 which has helped to
preneurship and its contribution to economic significantly expand its client base. In addition
growth is being recognized around the world. to the investment, IFC has provided MI-
Entrepreneurship creates new jobs, which is BOSPO with advisory services on corporate
essential in a country with high unemploy- governance, strategy, and gender issues.
ment rates, especially among women and
In a country that is still adjusting to the transi-
youth. Because Bosnia and Herzegovina has
tion to a market-led economy, there is little
the lowest female labor force participation
rates in South-East Europe, female entrepre- information on the obstacles that female-
owned enterprises in Bosnia and Herzegovina
neurship can provide a productive outlet for a
face. This publication helps fill this gap, shed-
well-educated and underutilized talent pool.
ding light not only on the challenges facing
This publication is a joint product of MI- women, but also celebrating their successes
BOSPO and IFC’s Gender Program (Gender and demonstrating the potential of business
Entrepreneurship Markets—GEM), which activity for job and income generation. It is to
promotes women’s private sector participation. be hoped that this important effort to better
IFC is pleased to have partnered with MI-BO- understand the characteristics, contributions
SPO, a microfinance provider targeting wom- and challenges of women entrepreneurs will
en, to document the obstacles facing women be the catalyst for further work, and most
entrepreneurs and the inspiring stories of their importantly, for expanding women’s entrepre-
business success. IFC made an investment neurship in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Shahbaz Mavaddat
Director
Southern Europe and Central Asia
IFC
Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 
MI-BOSPO FOREWORD
MI-BOSPO was created to provide access to —but also an opportunity for the other things
funds for low-income women. As time passed, to happen. It provides hope and encourage-
this mission statement was adjusted, but the ment to the 26,000 women entrepreneurs that
fundamental purpose has never changed. are our clients.
MI-BOSPO today enables easy access to long-
Although MI-BOSPO has been in this
term funds for women entrepreneurs, and it
business for over 12 years, there was never
aims to become the primary source of funding
a chance to consolidate information on our
for all women in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We
still have a long way to go. Not only because clients and women entrepreneurs in general.
Research on gender issues in Bosnia and Her-
we need to grow and get stronger as a financial
zegovina is often partial, the data is not very
institution, but because many women still
reliable, and little of it focuses on women in
need to grow stronger in their own thinking,
business. That fact says so much about the low
families, communities, and in their businesses.
priority that gender issues have been given in
If you ask women in Bosnia and Herzegovina our country.
whether they think that women are discrimi-
Yet the numbers of women entrepreneurs
nated against, only a few might answer in the
are growing, and hopefully one day they will
positive. This is the case not because there is no
become strong enough that MI-BOSPO will
gender discrimination, but because awareness
not be needed anymore. All these women
on the subject is very low. Women, especially
will have easy access to long-term funds from
in rural areas, tend to say that they are house-
banks and they will be crucial contributors
wives and do not work. But when they start
to the well-being of the country. As women’s
talking about their everyday activities, they re-
businesses gain in strength and our awareness
alize how much work they accomplish. That is
of their potential increases, we might see many
where change starts—by becoming aware. And
more reports such as this one being produced
that is often a difficult process. MI-BOSPO is
to showcase their successes.
therefore proud to partner with IFC’s Gen-
der Program in researching the successes and While waiting for this change to happen,
obstacles of businesswomen in Bosnia, raising MI-BOSPO is thankful to IFC for supporting
awareness on the issue, and helping women this report. It will serve as our base for future
become better advocates for needed change to research and a reference in everyday work.
improve their business success. Most importantly, MI-BOSPO hopes that this
report will be an inspiration to existing women
When we asked women what inspired them to
entrepreneurs and will make them proud of
start businesses, they said it was a wish to fi-
what they have achieved, but will also inspire
nancially contribute to the household, to have
other women to become aware of their poten-
something of their own, to have their own
tial and invest in their business success.
money, to be successful and respected. MI-
BOSPO provides one of these things—money
Alma Bijedić
MI-BOSPO Marketing Manager
 | Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Women are a significant, but underutilized
force in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s economy.
The severe lack of research on women in the
private sector means that their challenges and
contributions are not well recognized. This report
aims to fill this gap, compiling available research
on the topic and showcasing positive role models
of women in business, in the context of the
country’s post-conflict background.
In the immediate aftermath of the war, mo-
mentum on women’s empowerment helped
enshrine equality for women in legisla-
tion. Positive changes include the ratification
of the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women, and
the adaptation of key new laws on women’s
rights, including the Gender Equality Law, the
Gender Family Law and the Law on Protection
against Domestic Violence. A requirement that
one third of candidates on party lists during
elections must be female helped strengthen
women’s participation in politics.
Despite positive legislation and political ad-
vances, women continue to be economically
disadvantaged, and contribute less to the
economy than men. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s
women have strikingly low labor force partici-
pation rates of only 43 percent, compared to
the global average of 52.5 percent, and suffer
from high unemploy-
Chart 1: Persons in Employment by . ment levels.1 They
Status of Employment
earn, on average, less
than men. Moreover,
few women turn to
Employees
entrepreneurship. Ac-
Self-employed
Unpaid
cording to the 2007
family workers Labor Force Survey,
only 22.6 percent of
employed Bosnians
Source: Agency for Statistics of Bosnia-Herzegovina (2007).
are self-employed and
26.9 percent of these are women (chart 1), a
figure which is comparable to regional aver-
ages. At the same time, women make up 69.3
percent of unpaid family workers.2 When
women do have businesses, they tend to focus
on traditional service sectors, such as small
retail shops or beauty parlors.
Women entrepreneurs cite dealing with
licenses, taxation, finance, and labor issues
as the biggest obstacles to their business
success. In 2008 Bosnia and Herzegovina
was ranked 105th in the World Bank Group’s
Doing Business in 2008 report, which rates
countries annually on the ease of doing busi-
ness. The country’s pace of reform has slowed
from a few years ago, and its rank slipped
from 95 in 2007 to 105 in 2008.3 This is a
worrisome trend for all businesses, but it is
likely to affect disproportionately women-
owned businesses due to their small size and
lower capacity to deal with a difficult busi-
ness environment.
On a positive note, women make up a
slightly larger percentage of bank borrow-
ers and are also more likely to borrow from
credit unions, rotating savings and credit
associations and other sources, while men are
slightly more likely to borrow from fam-
ily (figure 1). However, the average size of a
loan that a woman takes out is smaller than
a man’s, at 2,702.50KM (US$2,169) versus
3,395.82KM (US$2,725), and women are
more likely to take out loans for immedi-
ate consumption such as daily family needs
rather than investment, indicating that they
invest less in their businesses.4 Both women
and men who take out bank loans complain
of overly long and complicated procedures,
as well as the high cost of borrowing. In the
meanwhile, microfinance providers, such as
Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 
MI-BOSPO, have stepped in and successfully
filled this gap to provide funds quickly and
Figure 1: Percentage of Persons who Took Loans in the Preceding 12
Months, According to Source of Loan by Sex
with fewer requirements, albeit at high inter-
60
est rates, enabling an ever greater number of
women to finance their businesses. 50
40
Heavy household and childcare responsi-
30
bilities may lead women to invest less in
economic activities. Women spend much less 20
time on their businesses than men do. A female 10
business owner spends, on average, 29.2 hours 0
per week on her business, compared to 46.9 Family Employer Banks Credit unions,
ROSCAs, others
hours that a male business owner spends on his women men
enterprise (figure 2). Many women turn to self-
Source: World Bank (2001).
employment out of necessity, and for some Bos-
nian businesswomen self-employment seems to
help accommodate family responsibilities.
The lack of strong networks and pervasive Figure 2: Hours Worked per Week by Type of Employment
cultural barriers also discourage women 50
from entrepreneurship. Many women lack
40
the self-confidence in their ability to run a
business. Thirty-four percent of the women 30
interviewed in a 2002 survey of 428 women
20
across the country noted that they are unsure
if they have the right skills and knowledge to 10
start a business, with another 9 percent noting 0
that they lack information needed to start a Public employee Owner or Other Total
self-employed
business.5 Moreover, women in the private
men women
sector remain largely unorganized. Profession-
Source: Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federal Office of Statistics (2006).
al organizations tend to be male-dominated,
with limited participation from women. The
stories of succeeding in a challenging post-war
lack of strong women’s business associations
environment can provide inspiration to young
means that women do not have a network of
women who are just starting out in their
other businesswomen to turn to for sharing
ideas and knowledge, which impacts their professional life. By listening to the voices of
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s women and docu-
access to resources, training and information
menting their inspirational stories, the report
that could increase their business success.
demonstrates the vast but underutilized poten-
This report is one advocacy tool that wom- tial of women and sends the message of how
en can use to show their success stories important it is to implement policies that will
and make their views heard with policy encourage and strengthen their performance.
makers and the international community.
The report highlights the many positive role
models of Bosnian businesswomen, whose

Chapter 1
The Legal and Economic Context .
Facing Women’s Businesses .
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
T
his section provides an introduction to the legal
and regulatory framework facing women in Bosnia
and Herzegovina. The chapter also discusses how
education, traditions, and cultural norms affect women’s
economic status and influence their employment and
business choices.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Legislative Frame-
works Seek to Ensure Gender Equality
The constitution prevents discrimination
based on sex and guarantees equal opportuni-
ties for its citizens. Bosnia and Herzegovina
ratified the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women (CEDAW) in 1994, and it adapted
in 2005 key new laws on women’s rights,
including the Gender Family Law and the
Law on Protection against Domestic Vio-
lence. A requirement that one third of
candidates on party lists during elections
must be female has helped strengthen
women’s participation in politics. Other post
conflict-countries, such as Afghanistan or
Rwanda, secured similar positive legislative
and political changes to help ensure equality
for women in the post-war period, indicating
how reform momentum in the immediate
aftermath of a war can be a good opportunity
towards ensuring women’s empowerment.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 2003 Law on Gen-
der Equality is meant to further strengthen
women’s status in areas such as employment,
media, education, and the private sector. The
law prohibits discrimination based on gender
and sexual harassment in the workplace, and it
mandates equal pay for equal work. This law
also seeks to harmonize the country’s legisla-
tion with the acquis communautaire, as part
of the European Union accession process. Yet,
women’s organizations in the country note
that the implementation of the law has been
limited and that appropriate by-laws are still
missing.6 According to Bosnia’s 2005 CEDAW
statement to the UN, the country’s courts are
overloaded, and have therefore had limited
capacity to handle cases dealing with discrimi-
nation against women.
The post-war transition has not encouraged
women’s participation in the private sector
Since the signing of the Dayton Peace
Accords in late 1995, Bosnia and Herze-
govina has been rebuilding its institutions
and strengthening its economy. The country
is now divided into two largely autonomous
entities, Republika Srpska and the Federation
of Bosnia Herzegovina, with some of the data
presented in this report being separate for
these two entities.
Bosnia’s women were generally perceived to
enjoy equal rights and strong social protection
in many spheres of life during the social-
ist times, but the conflict was marked by an
erosion of their status. The influx of foreign
aid since the end of Bosnia’s war and donors’
support for gender issues brought new energy
to the women’s movement. Yet, many women’s
non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
and services that sprung up in the mid to late
1990s tended to focus exclusively on women’s
political participation or human rights issues.
Few focused on women in the private sec-
tor and their potential to contribute to the
country’s economic development.
Women’s participation in the economy is low,
but increasing
Female labor force participation rates in Bos-
nia and Herzegovina are strikingly low. Com-
parison data on pre-war trends are unavailable,
but research indicates that women made up a
significant share of the labor force, particularly
in the industrialized sectors.7 Even though
women today make up 51.9 percent of the
working age population, their labor force par-
ticipation rate is only about 43 percent, which
is much lower than in developed countries.
However, their participation rate has been
steadily increasing over the last decade. In
contrast to Bosnia and Herzegovina, women’s
labor force participation rates in much of the
rest of Central and East Europe, except for
Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 
Turkey, are close to, or higher than the global
average of 52.5 percent (figure 1.1).8
Women also suffer higher unemployment
levels. In 2007 the unemployment rate for
women was 32.9 percent, versus 26.7 percent
for men.9 Unemployment rates are alarmingly
high among young women in the age category
of 15 to 24, where their unemployment levels
have reached a staggering 63.1 percent, com-
pared to 55.6 percent for men in the same
age category.10
ˇ ć , B H crafts ,
L e j la R adon ci
S ara j e v o
s hopping with Purpose is the motto of BHcrafts, a network of
Bosnian women producing beautifully hand-crafted pieces with tra-
ditional patterns that range from knitwear and accessories to home
décor. The products have been sold at Neiman Marcus, Agnes B, and
National Geographic and Sundance catalogues. The company has an
international reach, selling products in Europe, Japan, and the United
States. Several outlets in Sarajevo offer gift options to local tourists.
BHcrafts is one of few Bosnian businesses that have embraced
the social entrepreneurship agenda and used it to generate profit
through a message that their items not only represent a beautiful
purchase but also benefit impoverished women. Knitting for BHcrafts
is the main source of income for many of the women the company
employs, and allows them to support their families and send their
children to school. The network usually includes about 350 women
per year, but can engage up to 700 women when orders are in high
demand. However, according to Lejla, “the local laws do not distin-
guish our social entrepreneurship model from a regular business.”
The company has two sets of registrations, and is registered as a firm
and as an NGO. “We do two separate sets of accounting for the firm
and the NGO. This separation is a big problem.”
Started as a psycho-social project in 1995 by Lejla during her stint
working for the Norwegian People’s Aid organization, BHcrafts has
been supported with funding and technical assistance by various
donors, including the European Union, the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA), UNIFEM, and the World Bank. As such,
the company is one of few donor-supported projects in the country
that has focused on women’s private sector participation and eco-
nomic empowerment.
BHcrafts has done an excellent job with marketing its products, and
it encourages buying through its website (http://www.bhcrafts.org/).
Each BHcrafts product includes a small card with the handwrit-
ten name of the woman who made it. Sales are also encouraged
through various fashion and charity shows, and auctions at
embassies. In the future, Lejla is looking to further strengthen
her brand, increase production, and focus more on the
European market.
10 | Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Most new jobs in Bosnia and Herzegovina are
being created in the informal sector, which
accounted for 42 percent of employment in
2004. Also, women make up 69.3 percent of
unpaid family workers. Yet, the participation
of women in informal employment is almost
the same as in formal employment, demon-
strating once again their lower participation in
the productive economy.11 In general, unem-
ployment rates are higher for women than for
men across the former Yugoslav countries, with
the largest gender gaps in Bosnia and Kosovo.12
Figure 1.1: Women’s Labor Force Participation Rates . These low employment levels for women tend
in Bosnia and Comparator Countries
to be mirrored in other post-conflict coun-
tries, such as Kosovo or Angola, as women
in the post-war period focus on household
activities and donors and policy makers typi-
cally fail to capitalize upon women’s economic
potential in their reconstruction programs.
In their post-conflict assistance international
donors have tended to focus on construction-
heavy projects, which mainly employ men. In-
creasing the focus on opportunities for women
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
in the economy is therefore a significant gap
in donor aid to post-conflict countries.
Turkey Bosnia Croatia Slovenia Japan Romania Albania UK US
Source: World Economic Forum (2007); US Census Bureau; Yemtsov and Tiongson (2008). Even when employed, women tend to earn
significantly less than men
Women’s incomes are much lower than men’s
Figure 1.2: Mean Monthly Individual Income by Gender in both Republika Srpska (RS) and the Federa-
tion of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBIH) (figure
350
1.2). The gender disparity in earnings mirrors
Employment
300 global trends. In the U.S., for example, women
Emp + non-emp
earn, on average, 77 cents for every dollar
250
that men make.13 However, the data in Bosnia
KMs per month
All income
200 and Herzegovina indicate a much higher gulf
between women and men. Data from 2005
150
indicate that women in Republika Srpska had
100
a mean monthly income from employment
of KM60 (US$48) per month, compared to
50
KM145 (US$116) for men. In the Federation
0
women’s mean monthly income was higher,
RS Male FBIH Male All BIH Male RS Female FBIH Female All BIH Female
at KM129 (US$104), compared to KM196
Source: DFID (2005).
(US$157) for men.14 The earnings disparity
Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 11
may be due partly to women working less, but
Table 1.1: Structure of the Working Age Population, .
also to the fact that women are concentrated in by Education and Sex
less well paid occupations.
Labor Force
While older women tend to lag behind . Employed Persons Unemployed Persons Inactive Persons
men in educational attainment, educational
Female
backgrounds of younger women are compa-
Primary School 25.4 26.8 72.2
rable to men’s and Less
Education statistics in Bosnia and Herze- Secondary School 56.1 68.3 26.3
govina indicate slightly lower secondary College, University, 18.4 4.9 1.5
Masters, Doctoral
school completion rates for women. Yet, Degrees
lower completion rates are more pronounced Male
among the older generation of women who Primary School
and Less
22.5 25.5 55
also have high unemployment rates. However, Secondary School 66 71 39.8
women currently graduate from university College, University, 11.5 3.5 5.2
Masters, Doctoral
in higher numbers than men in both the Degrees
Federation and Republika Srpska. Moreover, Source: Agency for Statistics of Bosnia-Herzegovina (2007).
a greater share of employed women has a
higher degree, such as a college or university
Entrepreneurship is not well appreciated or
degree (table 1.1).15 developed in Bosnia and Herzegovina
While sex-disaggregated data on private sector
Interestingly, women also made up 58 per-
activities is scarce, statistics indicate quite low
cent of students of business management in
overall entrepreneurship levels in the country.
2005/2006, which should help them acquire
Over 85 percent of enterprises in Bosnia and
skills needed in business. Yet they are also
Herzegovina are micro enterprises, with 10 or
the majority of students getting a degree in
fewer employees. This is in line with the overall
subjects such as education, health, fine arts or
regional trend of pronounced micro-enterprise
philosophy. Men, on the other hand, tend to
participation. The number of small, medium
choose degrees in information technology
and micro firms per capita in Bosnia and Her-
or engineering.
zegovina is the lowest in the Eastern Europe
region, especially in comparison with the more
These positive trends in women’s education
advanced central European countries.16
do not seem to be reflected in their labor
force participation rates, which, as discussed
According to the 2007 Labor Force Survey,
above, remain well below the rates for men.
only 22.6 percent of employed Bosnians are
The fact that higher education for women
self-employed and 26.9 percent of these are
in the 15-24 age category has not translated
women (chart 1.1). This figure is comparable
into employment indicates that they may be
to the rest of East Europe and Central Asia
particularly affected by the small formal
where the average percentage of female entre-
employment sector and gender bias. More-
preneurs is 26.8 percent (figure 1.3).17
over, as the country’s education system is not
well adapted to market needs and is under- Part of the reason for such low entrepreneur-
going reforms, both women and men could ship levels might be that many Bosnian citizens
benefit from more practical skills needed tend to prefer formal employment with a firm
in business. over becoming an entrepreneur, reminiscent of
12 | Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Male firms are bigger, so of course they
are more successful. Women have small
businesses, but they help us survive.
—Mejrema Alimanović
the communist legacy that guaranteed employ-
ment with solid benefits. This preference may
shape their reasons for not getting into busi-
ness and may also help explain why there are
so few women entrepreneurs.
Data from the World Values survey indicate
that Bosnian women are also more likely
than men to favour increased government
ownership of business rather than private
ownership, suggesting that women have a
less positive attitude towards business than
men.18 One reason for this cautious attitude
to business may be due to the loss of support
services, such as childcare, social security, and
maternity leave that women were accustomed
to during communism, which has increased
women’s vulnerability.
Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 13
The significant amount of remittances in the
country may also affect levels of entrepreneur-
ship. Bosnia and Herzegovina is among the top Box 1.1: Engaging in Business as a Way to Heal: .
20 countries in the world receiving remittances, N ada S t j epano v i ć , D ance .
which amount to over 11 percent of GDP.19 Re- S tudio S ebasti j an , B r cko ˇ
search has found that individuals who switch
from not receiving remittances to receiving
“
I like dance. And I wanted to turn the minds of the children away
from negative things and towards something positive,” says Nada
payments are 3.5 percent less likely to start a Stjepanović about her motivation for starting Dance Studio Sebastijan.
business.20 This may well affect many Bosnian “There was dancing in my house from the time I was born,” she says.
“I went to dance schools and trained.” She set up her business in 1996,
women with husbands or relatives outside the and now gives classes in aerobics, dance, modeling, and ballet in the town
country on whose support they rely. of Brčko. She also organizes beauty competitions in her town and the region.
Nada is involved in all aspects of the studio’s work, from managing administrative duties to conducting
the dance classes and giving catwalk lessons to aspiring models. Today the studio has about 300 stu-
Chart 1.1: Persons in Employment by . dents who span a variety of ages. About 8,000 people have taken courses from the studio in the past
Status of Employment 11 years in the town of Brčko. A master at multitasking, Nada has accomplished all of this in addition to
her full-time job as a financial director at a local firm. She was even recognized with a “Woman of the
Year” award by her municipality a few years ago.
Nada has never had to do much advertising for her business. Local TV stations have been eager to cover
Employees
her competitions and events, and Nada notes that her students’ distinctive look while out and about
Self-employed in town speak for itself. Her most pressing task now is to secure her own space for classes, as they are
Unpaid currently held in the town’s youth center.
family workers
Source: Agency for Statistics of Bosnia-Herzegovina (2007).
Despite their low business ownership, wom- from exile and finding few other employment
en do express a growing interest in starting options. For some, starting a business was
Figure 1.3: Share of Female Entrepreneurs .
a business
by Country, Eastern Europe and . a positive, therapeutic activity and a coping
Central Asia Region A survey conducted in 2002 found a marked mechanism (box 1.1).
increase in the numbers of women who ex-
Latvia pressed an interest in starting their own busi- Women’s businesses are smaller than men’s,
Hungary and tend to be clustered in the traditional
Georgia ness, from 18 percent in 1998 to 60 percent
Bulgaria trade, handicrafts, and service sectors
Kazakhstan in 2002.21 Faced with poor employment op-
Ukraine Country-wide data on women’s business activ-
Slovenia portunities, Bosnian women increasingly view
Estonia ity are scarce, but the graph below from the
Poland entrepreneurship as a viable source of income.
Russia Banja Luka municipality shows that women’s
Romania
Moldova
For female-headed households poverty may
businesses are focused on handicrafts, trade,
Kyrgystan
Total
be a particular motivating factor. About 25
Lithuania and services, perhaps due to the lower initial
Bosnia percent of households in the country are fe-
Yugoslavia capital investment and skills requirements for
Belarus male-headed (15 percent of these are widows),
Tajikistan these sectors (figure 1.4).23 This is in line with
Czech Republic and 61.4 percent are likely to be below the
Croatia other countries in the region, where women’s
Slovakia poverty threshold, compared to 33.5 percent
Macedonia businesses are predominantly clustered in
Uzbekistan of households headed by men.22
Azerbaijan wholesale trade, retail, and textiles. The choice
Albania
Armenia
Women interviewed for this study note a of the industries women focus on partly ex-
0 10 20 30 40 50
variety of reasons for starting their businesses, plains why their firms are smaller in terms of
% of entrepreneurs female but most did so out of necessity. A number of sales revenues and profits.24
Source: Sabarwal and Terrell (2008). women started their business upon returning
14 | Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sometimes we women feel like we are not
being taken seriously. I am trying .
to break that mode of thinking. .
—Ružica Janković
The lack of self-confidence among women .
in their ability to run a business is an .
inhibiting factor
Thirty-four percent of the women inter-
viewed in a survey by a women’s NGO, the
World Learning STAR Network, noted that
they are unsure if they have the right skills
and knowledge to start a business. Another
9 percent noted that they lack information
needed to start a business. This finding should
not be surprising, given that their educational
backgrounds are often not well suited to
business. The lack of positive role models for
businesswomen in mainstream media may
also contribute to this poor confidence among
women about their ability to start a business.
Traditional cultural norms also hinder
women’s business success
The communist legacy brought to Bosnian
women over the past half century formal equal-
ity, but the 1992-1995 war saw an erosion of
privileges and equality that women had gained
during that time. Today the traditional divi-
sion of roles between men and women that
Figure 1.4: Number of Women and Men Entrepreneurs by Sector .
in the Banja Luka Municipality
1800
1500
women men
1200
900
600
300
0 Committee
Trade Production Services Handicrafts
Source: UNECE (2004).
has always been present in the society persists,
and combined with the lack of childcare op-
tions strongly shapes the work habits of many
women entrepreneurs (box 1.2). Seventy-one
Chapter 2
percent of the women interviewed for the Dealing with Bureaucracy
World Learning STAR Network survey noted
that patriarchal traditions and customs that
put a woman “in her right place” contribute to
their lower position in society.
Box 1.2: Defying traditional norms: .
R u ž ica Janko v ić , S kelani
O riginally from Srebrenica, Ružica fled with
her husband and two children to Serbia in 1992.
She initially accepted various menial jobs because
she needed the income, including a stint at a
cousin’s café. Two years later she finally decided
to take matters into her own hands. “In Skelani
I saw a kiosk that was in a fairly good shape and
not too destroyed, so I decided to invest in open-
ing it,” she says. Skelani is a small community
near Srebrenica, in a remote region of Bosnia on Relative to its regional neighbours, Bosnia It is difficult here to operate legally. If
the border with Serbia that is poorly accessible by and Herzegovina still suffers from a weak
roads and marked by a large number of people you operate legally, there are inspec-
who have left the area since the war. business environment
Bosnia and Herzegovina was ranked 105th tions coming upon you from all sides.
Yet Ružica remained undeterred by the town’s
in the World Bank Group’s Doing Business in They always find something that is not
remoteness and its diminishing population.
Initially, as people continued to move out of their 2008 report, which rates countries annu- in order. .
region, the profits were low. But the business
continued. Ružica’s store is in the center of Skel-
ally on the ease of doing business. While —Ružica Janković
ani, has a good reputation in the community, some countries in the West Balkans, such as
and has steadily attracted customers from across
Croatia, are reforming rapidly, Bosnia and
the area. She now employs four female workers
in a grocery store that sells a variety of goods, Herzegovina’s pace of reform has slowed Figure 2.1: Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Ease of Doing Business .
including food, beauty products, and drinks.
from a few years ago, and its rank slipped Compared to Global Best Practice and Select Economies
As a female entrepreneur, Ružica has had to fight from 95 in 2007 to 105 in 2008 (figure 2.1).
160
prejudices. According to her, “even when our
The declining rank is partly due to the fact
business partners know that they should come to 140
me to resolve certain questions, they turn to my that many other countries are reforming 120
husband instead.” Ružica thinks that high unem-
faster and partly due to the national political 100
ployment rates among women in the country are
Ranking
due to their limited mobility and “their high level landscape that has not sufficiently focused 80
of responsibility within the family. We still need to on reforms. This is a worrisome trend for all 60
keep taking care of all the household chores.” A
well-respected woman in her community, Ružica businesses, but it is likely to affect dispro- 40
is active in local politics, and was portionately women-owned businesses due 20
the first woman to be 0
elected to the post of to their small size and lower capacity to deal Singapore Macedonia, Montenegro Serbia Croatia Greece Bosnia and Albania
the representative of with a difficult business environment.
FYR Herzegovina
Source: World Bank (2007a).
the town People’s
in 2004.
16 | Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 17

Women entrepreneurs interviewed cite Government fragmentation, which is the

Box 2.1: Dealing with a Difficult Bureacracy: . dealing with licenses, taxation, finance and result of the complex political structure of the
F ahira H abibo v i ć , Z latarica H abibo v i ć , labor issues as the biggest obstacles to their
country devised in the aftermath of the war,
Ži v inice business success
also contributes to the cost of doing business.
The barriers to business success that women
A s soon as the American military set up a base in the Živinice region at the end of Bosnia’s war, the
Habibović family saw an opportunity. Realizing that the soldiers were interested in gold as gifts to take home
cite are reflected in the Doing Business
rankings, where the areas of starting a busi-
There is a high level of decentralization in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, with fourteen gov-
for their significant others, Fahira and her husband opened a series of four jewelry outlets in the American ernments operating with little coordination
military bases catering to the military personnel stationed in the region. They seized the opportunity to offer
ness, dealing with licenses, paying taxes, and
among each other. As noted in a 2007 White
products to the American military personnel early on, when there were few competitors, and have managed registering property received the worst rating
to diversify their operations since then. Paper completed by the Bosnia-Herzegovina
in 2007. A survey of businesses in Bosnia and
Foreign Investors Council, the duplication of
The business did very well between 1996 and 2007 when the American military left, but starting out was Herzegovina, which does not contain sex-
not easy. “Getting a permit to operate on the American military base took a long time and re- essentially the same authority over multiple
quired a lot of paperwork,” Fahira says. The couple registered their business in 1996 but had
disaggregated data, mirrors some of the same
government levels poses particular problems.26
to undergo tests to prove the quality of their gold. Once the business was set up, they concerns, but also includes uncertainty over
were plagued by numerous inspections. Finally, attending trade shows abroad has not A number of the women interviewed noted
been easy, given the difficulty for a Bosnian national in getting a visa to travel abroad.
economic policy and corruption as the biggest
frustrations with trying to do business in dif-
This is also the reason why the family had to reject an offer to be the national repre- obstacles (figure 2.2).
sentatives for a Turkish jewelry chain in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ferent parts of the country and hesitation to
The 2007 Transparency International cor- expand to other regions, due to the unclear or
The Habibović family now has various other business ventures, including a
bakery, a supermarket and a gambling club. Theirs is a joint business, in which ruption perception survey assigned Bosnia varied business requirements of the different
the husband does business negotiations and travel, and Fahira is responsible for and Herzegovina the 84th to 93rd position regions (box 2.1).
running the day-to-day operations and sales. The couple believes that running their
businesses as a family and dividing up tasks has helped them achieve their success. among 180 countries, lagging well behind the Business Licensing Can Impose Early Hurdles
The Habibović’s are currently also investing in a disco club, which they intend to give to EU and its accession country candidates.25
their son to manage due to his interest in music. for Women Entrepreneurs
Women’s businesses are, on average, smaller Bosnia’s ranking for the “Dealing with
and their owners tend to be less confident and Licences” indicator in the Doing Business
educated in business matters. As a result, deal- report improved by 10 places—from 160th to
ing with issues such as government bureaucra- 150th between 2006 and 2007—partly due
. cy can become even more daunting for them.
K ana N & N , N erma H amzi c and ´ .
N arcisa K a v azo v i ć , I lid j a

N
Figure 2.2: Barriers to the Operation and Growth of Businesses (percentage of firms)

erma and Narcisa have come a long way from sewing pillows and bedcovers in their garage Economic policy uncertainty
and selling them at the marketplace. They now own a spacious production space in Ilidja with a Corruption
colourful new showroom. The company employs 25 people and sells 130 different articles across Cost of financing
Tax rates
the former Yugoslavia, with occasional exports to Sweden, Germany and Russia. Macroeconomic instability
Anti-competitive practices of other producers
Their success masks difficult beginnings. The sisters started their business after returning to Bosnia Tax administration
Organized crime/mafia
from Spain, faced with the need to ensure survival and provide for their families. They used an old
Functioning of judiciary
sewing machine and their personal bedding to make their first pillows, which Access to financing
they stuffed with the leftover materials of military uniforms. Street crime/theft/disorder
Contract violations by
customers and suppliers
Their biggest problem has been various government regulations that have negatively affected their business.
Customs and trade regulations
According to Nerma, “laws here don’t stimulate business, they only stifle it.” The sisters formally registered their firm in 1996 Business licensing
and note that the process was difficult. “Even now the government makes problems. That’s how they make money,” Nerma and permits
Labor regulations
says. “The requirements and taxes are horrible. If it were not for these people we employ, we would sell all of this.” Even open- Skills and education
ing their new showroom has not been easy. According to Narcisa, “There were many requirements before we opened it. They of available workers

keep harassing us, but nobody tries to help.” Transportation

Electricity
Access to land
Nerma and Narcisa believe that their success in this difficult business environment is due to their being able to fill a gap in the Telecommunications
market and offer the customers what they need. “Everybody needs a pillow and bedding. Just as we need to eat, so do we Title or leasing of land
need to also sleep and cover ourselves with something while we are asleep,” says Narcisa. The sisters are now grooming their
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
three daughters to eventually take over the business. According to Narcisa, “We will leave the company to them to continue
where we left off.” No obstacle Minor Moderate Major
Source: BEEPS2
18 | Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 19

Lengthy, Complicated Procedures and . We get loans from commercial banks. But
Table 2.1: Dealing with Licenses in . the Cost of Bank Finance are Issues for Figure 2.3: Percentage of Persons who Took Loans in the Preceding 12
Bosnia and Herzegovina the interest rates are too high, and the
Women’s Businesses Months, According to Source of Loan by Sex
Procedures (number) 16 terms are too short. .
Duration (days) 467 Bosnia and Herzegovina is ranked at number —Lejla Radonči ć
60

Cost (% of income per capita) 790.3 13 in the Doing Business report in terms 50

Source: World Bank (2007a).
to ongoing efforts on the inspections reform
of the ease of obtaining credit, reflecting an
excellent performance in this area. Banking
reform in 2001 has led to the liberalization
of the banking sector, and the country has a
larger percentage of bank borrowers and 40
are also more likely to borrow from credit
30
unions, rotating savings and credit associa-
tions (ROSCAs) and other sources, while men 20

and the “regulatory guillotine” process.27
However, it is still a poor ranking, and several
women complained of delays and a frustrat-
ing bureaucracy in obtaining needed licenses
(box 2.2). The process requires, on average, 16
procedures and 467 days (table 2.1). The time
and effort needed to navigate these procedures
can significantly delay business start-up and
discourage formalization. Given that women
also bear prime responsibility for household
tasks, they may experience these procedures
more acutely than do men.
Box 2.2: Dealing with Licenses: .
M irsada M ehmedino v i ć , .
K onfekci j a S D M , L uka v ac
competitive banking market with regulatory
and supervisory functions that are being en-
forced. Moreover, credit to the private sector is
growing rapidly, with real private sector credit
averaging 22.8 percent between 2001 and
2006.28 The country has an inclusive credit
registry that covers both commercial and
micro lenders.
Few of the women interviewed for this report
noted access to finance as an issue; rather both
women and men complained of the cost of
finance. In fact, women make up a slightly
are slightly more likely to borrow from family
(figure 2.3).
The numbers indicate that women in Bosnia
and Herzegovina may be better off in terms of
securing credit than women in the rest of the
region. A study using data from Europe’s Busi-
ness Environment and Enterprise Performance
Survey found that female-managed firms have
a 5.4 percent lower probability of securing a
bank loan than male-managed firms. More-
over, female-managed firms pay, on average,
0.6 percent higher interest rates than their
male counterparts.29 In contrast to the rest of
Europe, the same study found that women-
owned firms in South-Eastern Europe report
fewer constraints in access and cost of financ-
ing than male-owned businesses.
10
0
Family Employer Banks Credit unions,
ROSCAs, others
women men
Source: World Bank (2001).
(US$2,725) for men, and women are more
likely to take out loans for immediate con-
sumption rather than investment, indicating
that they invest less in their businesses (figure
2.4).30 Also, Bosnian entrepreneurs are more
likely to finance their business start-up with
personal funds rather than bank loans. While
bank finance is rarely used for business start-
ups in the country, research has found it to
be significant in ensuring business survival.31
Therefore, the fact that women are less likely

M irsada was working in a garment factory in Italy after her escape from the Bosnian war when
she met her future husband, an Italian with a long family history of working in the garment industry.
However, the average size of a loan that a
to take out bank loans for business purposes is
likely to have a negative impact on their busi-
After the war ended Mirsada and her husband returned to her home town of Lukavac and built SDM
woman takes out is smaller than a man’s, at
ness survival.
Lukavac, a garment factory that produces slick Italian shirts for export to the Italian market. 2,702.50KM (US$2,169) versus 3,395.82KM
Living in an area of the country known for the high level of pollution from the surrounding heavy While access to bank finance is less of a
industry and large chimneys at the city’s entrance, Mirsada was looking to start a business that would problem for women, businesswomen inter-
offer alternative employment opportunities to the local population and would not harm the environ- Figure 2.4: Average Loan Size (in KM), by Sex
ment. Konfekcija SDM now employs 50 workers, of whom two are male. As is common in the garment viewed for this report note that the length of
industry, women have taken on all levels of responsibility in her factory, from working in production to 5000 time it takes to get bank financing, the lack
being directors. With unemployment in the region high, Mirsada feels positive about her contribution. women men
of long-term financing options, as well as the
4000
While her intentions were good, Mirsada realized that opening up the factory complicated paperwork and requirements are
would not be very easy. Even though Mirsada started to set up her business
in 2003, she did not commence operations until 2006. It took two and a
3000 problematic and lead them to turn instead to
half years to obtain all the necessary paperwork and permits from the
2000
microfinance institutions. Men tend to turn to
government. She notes having to go to various different ministries,
with no clear explanations of who was responsible for what. Her microfinance for the same reasons.
business site was finished only in 2005. Despite her challenges, 1000
Mirsada is optimistic about her future prospects. Her business is
still in the expansion phase and she plans to more than double 0
her workforce in the coming years. Average loan size

Source: World Bank (2001).

20 | Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
As in many other parts of the world, the lack
of registered property under their own name
can become a problem for women when
seeking bank financing, particularly for
larger loan amounts
The law provides for joint property registra-
tion, but traditional practices of registering
land in a man’s name tend to prevail. Only 6.5
percent of women interviewed for the STAR
Network survey reported owning land in
their own name (figure 2.5). Moreover, forty
percent of women noted that lack of property
makes accessing finance difficult.
The numbers are similar across the former
Yugoslav countries. In neighbouring Monte-
negro only 3 percent of property is registered
in women’s names, while the corresponding
figure in rural parts of Kosovo is 10 percent.32
The growth in the leasing market in the
country could have positive effects for women.
Outstanding leasing contracts in Bosnia and
Herzegovina grew by 74 percent between
2004 and 2005.33 The IFC has been work-
ing to update the leasing legal framework,
. B reeding F actor y N ear T uzla
ˇ ć , .
M irsada M a j dan ci
H erbal P harmac y M editera
S
teeped in a family tradition of herbalists and with a degree in pharmacy,
it seemed only natural for Mirsada to turn to herbal medicine when she was
looking to start her own business. Mirsada is today the director and sole
owner of a pharmacy that focuses on herbal medicine and natural drugs.
She started her business in 1997 after returning from exile in Germany,
now employs five people, and is increasingly focusing on herb growing and
production on her family-owned land. “I have focused on plants because of
my family tradition and history. Nature is our salvation,” she says. Her clients
are the locals from her town of Živinice, including athletes and people who
believe in alternative medicine.
Mirsada used her own funds to start the business, yet notes that financing has
been an issue. “Banks are not an attractive option for financing, as they have
too many requirements. While microfinance organizations have higher interest
rates, they are faster. Yet they do not offer large enough loans.”
Mirsada has a resilient spirit, and notes: “I do not intend to give up. I will con-
tinue to fight on.” In the future, she hopes to acquire more land and expand
the herbal production side of her business.
and in late 2007 a new Law on Leasing was
enacted in Republika Srpska. Leasing can
help women’s businesses with limited start-up
capital and cash flow to start operating imme-
diately. Yet few of the women interviewed for
this report seemed aware of the potential that
leasing offers, indicating the need for educa-
tion on this product.
Microfinance institutions have stepped in to
fill the funding gap
There is a large presence of microfinance
organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In
2004, there were 46 registered microfinance
providers in the country.34 Many of these were
established with donor assistance following
the end of the war, but are now self-sufficient
(box 2.3). The country passed similar micro-
finance laws in Republika Srpska in 2001 and
the Federation in 2000. A new law on micro-
credit organizations stipulates that micro-
credit organizations have to transform from
non-profit organizations to either foundations
or commercial entities.
MI-BOSPO is simple because we know and
trust each other. .
—Mejrema Alimanović
Figure 2.5: Women’s Property Ownership .
in Bosnia nd Herzegovina (percentage)
50
40
30
20
10
0 complexity. The complexity and cost of the
Land House
in own name don’t own
joint no answer/
don’t know
Source: Baksic-Muftic, Jasna et al. (2003).
A number of the women interviewed are
receiving both micro-credit and bank loans.
Women preferred microfinance loans due to
the convenience and speed associated with
obtaining them (box 2.4). Yet they note that
interest rates are too high. Depending on the
type of loan, microfinance institutions charge
from 15 to over 20 percent interest, com-
pared to 8 or 9 percent interest charged on a
consumption or housing loan by commercial
banks.35 With competition in the micro-
enterprise market in the country increasing, the
interest rates have been on a downward trend.
Taxation Imposes Further Burdens on
Women’s Businesses
Bosnia and Herzegovina is undertaking tax
reform, including lowering property taxes and
simplifying corporate income taxes.36 How-
ever, tax rates are still rated by entrepreneurs
among the highest obstacles to doing business
in the country. For instance, taxes that an
employer has to pay for each employee to the
social insurance fund average about 70 percent
of an employee’s net pay, making it very costly
to create new jobs.37
We had problems with taxation at first.
We had nine inspection visits within .
six months. .
—Fahira Habibović
The Doing Business in 2008 report found that
the number of payments in the taxes category
has been reduced from 73 to 51 annually
from the previous year, but the total estimated
required time for processing these payments
increased from 100 hours to 368, increasing
process may be one of the reasons why wom-
en, who tend to be more time constrained
than men, do not formally register their small
informal businesses or hire workers.
Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 21
Box 2.3: MI-BOSPO — Increasing Women’s Access to Finance through
Micro Loans
I
nitiated in 1996 as a World Bank pilot project, MI-BOSPO has evolved into a
leading micro-credit organization in Bosnia targeting women. The organization’s
mission is to economically empower women, led by the belief that “the economi-
cally empowered woman can better influence social change and contribute to
better quality of life within the family.”
As of March 2008, MI-BOSPO had 26,580 active clients and a loan portfolio
of KM64,000,000 (US$51,375,307). Based in Tuzla, the organization focuses
mainly on northeast Bosnia. The loans range from US$180 to US$18,200, with
an average tenor of 13.5 months. On any given day, one can see the MI-BOSPO
staff in the colorfully branded company vans visiting clients in the cities that the
organization serves.
MI-BOSPO is involved in various community initiatives, such as a local recycling
program, and is starting a foundation that will focus on research and programs
to the benefit of women. MI-BOSPO is a member of Women’s World Banking, a
global network of microfinance organizations based in New York.
For more information, visit: http://www.mi-bospo.org.
Box 2.4: Benefiting from Microfinance: .
N izama I msiragi ć , M ilk C ow .
I
“
started work with MI-BOSPO as soon as they began operating here seven years
ago,” says Nizama Imsiragić, sitting in the shade of a tree in front of her milk
cow breeding factory at a large farm near Tuzla. Running a family business to-
gether with her husband, Nizama started out by selling the milk of her one cow
in the neighborhood. Soon enough she saw the potential for more. She now has
eighty cattle and various machines for processing milk. Their milk is sold to the
Tuzla Milk Factory and distributed to the region.
Loans from MI-BOSPO have played a key role in this development. “I
had one cow and wanted one more,” says Nizama. “I got a loan
from MI-BOSPO and bought a second cow.” Her experience
with MI-BOSPO has been positive and she values the long-
standing relationship with the organization. “They are very
fast. Now that I have secured their trust, I can get credit at
any time,” she says.
Going forward, Nizama would like to focus on breeding
the Holstein breed of cows, which are distinctive black-
and-white-colored cows known for their large milk
production capacity. Nizama is optimistic about her
firm’s future: “We have this large space for the cows, in
which we invested a lot of funds. We have capacity for 50
more cattle.”
22 | Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 23

There is no flexibility with employees. .
The state does not offer good training .
for workers. We are coming out of a .
communist system, and the state is .
insuring people who do not have good
work habits. We have gone through 150
workers to get 50 good ones.
—Mirsada Mehmedinović
Poor Worker Skills Can Impact Women’s.
Business Performance
The education system in Bosnia and Herze-
govina has not adapted to a market economy.
The system focuses on training for defined
jobs in a command economy rather than
adaptability and flexibility, and has yet to
equip young people with the skills that are
needed in the private sector. According to the
World Bank, more than 40 percent of second-
ary students in the country continue to study
programs in hundreds of occupational spe-
cializations for which there are few jobs.38 A
number of women entrepreneurs noted issues
with poor quality of workers and the difficulty
in finding good employees.
Vocational education opportunities are also
limited for those who wish to improve their
skills, and companies tend to invest little
in training their workers. Moreover, a 2006
labor study found that vocational training is
associated with a negative effect on earnings of
about 20-25 percent, probably due to the fact
that poor people with lower job prospects tra-
ditionally enrol in vocational programs instead
of completing a full secondary school degree.39
A 2005 World Bank Education Restructuring
Project has been designed to address some of
these issues.
Rigid protection has meant that private em-
ployers have had a difficult time firing and
hiring workers
While there have been some initial reforms
of the labor code and employment institutes,
more is needed. Women entrepreneurs tell of
numerous labor inspections by government
that often amount to harassment. A study by
the World Bank Group’s Foreign Investment
Advisory Service (FIAS) noted that the system
for labor inspections lacks reasonable rules and
remedies and gives individual inspectors large
amounts of power but little accountability.
This situation can easily lead to requests for
bribes that are difficult for women entrepre-
neurs to refuse.40
Women employees, in particular, are often
seen as a burden by employers. The World
Bank has argued that the one year maternity
leave policy, mandated in the labor laws, hin-
ders female employment. Maternity benefits
in Republika Srpska are financed through
general payroll contributions and are therefore
not a disincentive to hiring women. In the
Federation the benefits are supposed to be
financed by the Cantonal social protection
system, but in practice are often left to the
employers to finance, creating a disincentive
to hiring women. One potential solution is
to pay the maternity leave through the social
insurance system instead of leaving it effec-
tively to the employer.41 Moreover, research
indicates that employers often disregard the
norms of the labor law, prevent women from
using maternity leave, and sometimes even fire
women during pregnancy.42
Discrimination against older women is also
prevalent, with older women being rejected
from consideration for employment due
to their age and looks. Job advertisements,
particularly in the services industry, often
have specific requirements for applicants to be
below 35 years of age and to look attractive.43
Increased awareness by women’s NGOs and
Gender Centers on this problem and gender
sensitivity training for the private sector may
help change such perceptions.

.
M e j rema A limano v i ć , .
K iosk S hop M eri , L uka v ac

W hen her husband was injured during the war and had to stop working, Mejrema borrowed funds
from relatives and started a small kiosk to ensure the family’s survival. “Those were the post-war years,
and life was difficult. My husband was a war invalid and we were having a hard time getting by.”

But the hard times are long over for Mejrema. From her first small kiosk, Mejrema has developed a
variety of business ventures in her town of Lukavac that include agriculture and coffee roasting. Four
years ago she also opened a greenhouse where she grows strawberries and vegetables that she sells in
her own shops. The market for her products is local, and Mejrema says she would have to improve the
labeling to be able to sell the products elsewhere.

Her biggest problem has been finding well qualified and reliable employees. “Today’s
youth do not like to work hard and are not careful. They don’t have good work
habits. It is very hard to find good workers.” With a business that depends
on customer loyalty, she has had a hard time finding workers who have a
pleasant and friendly attitude towards the customers.

Mejrema is looking to expand her fruit and vegetable production. She

recently attended training on large-scale production and agronomy,
and looks forward to applying the lessons in her business expansion.

Chapter 3
Bosnian Women: Building .
Partnerships for Success
Unemployment is high among women because of
their high level of responsibility within the family. .
We still need to keep taking care of all the .
household chores.
—Ružica Janković
Managing work-life balance in light of
women’s disproportionate responsibilities .
in the home
Many women turn to self-employment out
of financial necessity, and for some Bosnian
businesswomen being your own boss seems
to help accommodate family responsibilities.
When Bosnian women run their own busi-
ness, they are likely to spend significantly less
time on it than when they are employed for
someone else. A female business owner spends,
on average, only 29.2 hours per week on her
business, compared to 46.9 hours that a male
business owner spends on his enterprise. In fact,
men work longer hours in every work category.
This data indicates that many women may be
choosing self-employment or exit the labor force
partly due to their greater household burdens
(figure 3.1).
The unavailability and high cost of childcare
services and the general belief that a woman
should be home with her children may also
contribute to this time allocation.44 Currently
less than 9 percent of children attend a pre-
school educational institution, and kinder-
gartens charge between KM100 (US$80) and
KM120 (US$96) per month.45 Since women’s
earnings average KM129 (US$104) in the
Federation and KM60 (US$48) in Republika
Srpska, the cost of childcare is a too high
burden for many households.
Women entrepreneurs need stronger networks
Business networking is valuable for sharing
ideas, contacts and news in one’s industry, for
getting business referrals, and securing deals.
Yet, even though Bosnia and Herzegovina
has a vibrant women’s movement and strong
civil society organizations focusing on gender
issues, women in the private sector remain
largely unorganized.
The BH Women’s Economic Network is one
existing organization that brings together
We need to get together more, and .
exchange experiences. There is no .
women’s business association here, but we
should start one.
—Mejrema Alimanović
women entrepreneurs, as well as government
and business leaders. Yet it has few active mem-
bers and limited resources, making it difficult
to offer comprehensive services to its members.
This lack of organization of women in busi-
ness tends to be mirrored in the rest of Central
and Eastern Europe, as many women in the
region are reluctant to associate themselves
with ‘feminist’ ideas or be singled out as a
marginalized group.46 Moreover, business
membership organizations do not tend to
cater their services to women entrepreneurs.
A 2000 study found that only 29 percent of
organizations in Central and Eastern Eu-
rope provided such services, compared to 41
percent in the European Union.47 As a result,
professional organizations tend to be male-
dominated, with limited participation from
women, and women enjoy less access to re-
sources, training, and information that could
increase their business success.
Strong women’s business organizations could
provide much-needed training, networking
and advocacy
Few of the women interviewed noted receiv-
ing training or information relevant to their
business, which membership in an association
could provide. One reason for women’s low
participation in associations may be due to
their large family responsibilities. Yet many
women expressed interest in networking and
training opportunities, indicating a strong
need for such an organization. There are many
global examples of successful women’s business
associations, whose models could provide
Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 25
Figure 3.1: Hours Worked per Week by Type of Employment
50
40
30
20
10
0
Public employee Owner or Other Total
self-employed
men women
Source: Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Federal Office of Statistics (2006).
D u š anka Jo v ano v i ć , .
C lothing B outi q ues M a j a.
ˇ
B r cko
D ušanka has always been interested in fashion, but she turned
it into her profession out of necessity in the early post-war years.
Faced with poor employment opportunities, she started to sell bags
eleven years ago in the town of Brčko where she was living with her
family. That initial effort has been expanded into three boutiques
selling clothing to women and men of different age groups and
economic means.
Despite the demands that her business imposes, Dušanka seems
to maintain a good balance between her work and her family life.
She employs eight female staff who help run the shops and are
reliable, long-term employees. In an industry known for its tendency
to employ young and attractive female workers, Dušanka does not
discriminate in hiring, and her employees are between the ages of
20 and 52.
With competition increasing, it is becoming more difficult
to operate and vie for the attentions of fickle consum-
ers. Dušanka would like to open a more exclusive
boutique, but does not think that people in her
town would be able to afford it.
“A lot of people ask me how I manage to do it
all. You have to love this job in order to do it,”
she says. “But I do not exhaust myself too much.
It is all a matter of organization, and for now
I’ve managed to get organized.” Going forward,
Dušanka’s goals include buying an apartment
for her daughter who will soon begin university
studies as well as opening another shop.
26 | Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
impetus and ideas for the women in Bosnia
and Herzegovina (box 3.1).
Government and donors should work with
women’s businesses to ensure change
Donor assistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina
to date has focused overwhelmingly on issues
such as women’s political participation, peace
building, or trafficking. In other post-conflict
countries donors have traditionally supported
similar gender activities, typically failing to
capitalize upon women’s economic potential.
Encouragingly, in recent years donors have
started to support initiatives geared towards
women’s business potential, such as in Kosovo
(box 3.2). Some economic empowerment
initiatives, such as the BHcrafts initiative
described earlier in this report or micro-credit
Box 3.1: Networking for Success: Examples
of Women’s Business Associations
National Association of Women
Business Owners
With 9,000 women-owned businesses in
America as its members and 80 chapters
throughout the country, this association cre-
ates networking opportunities for its members,
organizes nation-wide conferences and public
policy days, and provides tools for growing
a business. For more information, visit their
website: http://www.nawbo.org/
Jordan Forum for Business and
Professional Women
Established in 1976, the Forum provides a
platform to develop, empower and advocate
for women in business in Jordan. For more
information, visit their website: http://www.
bpwa.org.jo/
Global Directory of Women’s
Business Associations
IFC’s Gender Program houses a Global
Directory of Women’s Business Associations,
searchable by country: http://rru.worldbank.
org/External/psd-gender/
schemes, have received donor support in
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Yet these represent
ad-hoc activities in an environment that lacks
a coordinated, strategic focus on women in
the private sector.
The government has enacted supportive
legislation and put in place a machinery to
address gender concerns, including Gender
Centers at the state level and at the level of
entities, and Gender Equality Commissions.
These organizations might be well placed to
strengthen support for women in the private
sector, including engaging in advocacy on is-
sues facing women entrepreneurs.
This report is one advocacy tool that women
can take to policy makers to make their views
Box 3.2: Donors Promoting Women
Entrepreneurs in Kosovo
Faced with poor employment prospects and
a patriarchal system, women in Kosovo are
facing particular challenges as Kosovo strives
to rebuild its institutions and economy.
To address the issue, the Swiss Agency for De-
velopment and Cooperation initiated a project
in 2001 to foster small and medium enter-
prises, with a particular focus on building skills
among young women. The program offers
courses for women entrepreneurs on business
management, accounting, and marketing, as
well as vocational training. A media campaign
and exhibitions showcasing women’s products
are designed to counter societal prejudices
and encourage young women to enter the
business arena.
For more information, visit: http://www.
swisscontact.org/english/pages/PR_Dn/PR_
Dn_005_Img.php
heard. The report highlights the many positive
role models of Bosnian businesswomen, whose
success stories can provide inspiration to young
women who are just starting out in their profes-
sional life. By listening to the voices of Bosnia’s
women and documenting their inspirational
stories, the report demonstrates the vast but
underutilized potential of women and sends the
message of how important it is to implement
policies that will encourage and strengthen
their performance.
L e j la S paho , P erspe -
kti v a E ngineering ,
Visoko
L ejla Spaho has an impressive resume
—she is a teacher at a secondary school
in Visoko, the national head of the BH
Women’s Economic Network, a cantonal
representative, and also the owner of Pers-
pektiva Engineering, a firm providing services
in consultancy, engineering, and architec-
tural design. After being a director of a
state-owned construction firm, she used her
business connections to open her company
ten years ago.
As a leader of the BH Women’s Economic
Network, Lejla is an advocate for issues
facing women in the economy and in busi-
ness. According to Lejla, the network has
about 1,800 members in each region of the
country, though a small number of these are
active. The network facilitates information
sharing, conducts research, advocacy, and
training activities.
According to Lejla, “part of the problem
with the network has been that the women
members expected financial support from
the network. Also, businesswomen have
no time to be part of an association given
all their other obligations.” Yet she remains
a passionate advocate for women in busi-
ness, taking a leadership role and an active
part in the network’s training activities and
learning exchanges.
H a v a F azli ć , C leaning .
S er v ice S E I F , H air and .
T anning S alon , F lower S hop.
K alesi j a
A fter living in Germany for several years, Hava returned to her
small Bosnian town of Kalesija in 1997 filled with optimism about
the future, but also with various business ideas. Yet she first focused
on family and spent some time raising her three children.
Hava soon got to work. She had always loved flowers, and started by
selling flowers on the street in her town. Soon enough, there were
plenty of clients, and Hava opened a flower shop in 2004. Today she
also owns a hair salon, a tanning salon, a greenhouse for growing
flowers, and a newly opened cleaning service SEIF. “I get the ideas
for my businesses from listening to the needs of the customers. I
brought back a lot of positive impressions from Germany,” she says.
She and her husband are now focusing increasingly on their cleaning
service. “People are not aware about cleaning services in this market.
We will need at least a year of advertising to acquaint
people with the notion,” Hava says.
A dynamic and hard-working woman, Hava
manages to juggle her personal life with
the demands of her various businesses.
Despite the multiple demands on her
day, she finds time for family and
usually leaves work by 4 or 5pm. “I
love to work but I am also attached
to my family. I usually cook myself.
But I am having a harder time
making time for friends these days.”
As if managing a growing family and
various businesses were not enough
work, Hava is also studying on a part-time
basis for a university degree in economics.
28 | Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina
RECOMMENDATIONS
Issue
Complex bureaucratic
procedures in areas such
as obtaining licenses,
employing workers or
accessing finance have a
disproportionate burden
on women’s businesses
due to their smaller busi-
ness size and capacity to
address the issues. The
complicated govern-
ment structure in the
country has meant that
procedures for getting
business permits are not
standardized.
Lack of awareness and
education on business
issues may be an inhibit-
ing factor for women
entrepreneurs.
Women in business
remain poorly organized
and lack a coordinating
body and networking
opportunities.
Many Bosnian women
are held back by poor
self-confidence and lack
of a belief in their ability
to succeed in business.
Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 29
USEFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES
Recommendations Responsible agency BH Women’s Economic Network MI-BOSPO Micro-Credit Organization
http://www.bhzem.ba/aktivnosti/centralna http://www.mi-bospo.org/
Eliminate Bureaucratic Hurdles that Hinder the Success of Women . Government, business
in Business and Provide Training associations, donors /index.php
US Small Business Administration Free Online
b Increase the mobility of the labor force and address the pervasive discrimination Gender Center of the Federation of Bosnia Business Courses
in hiring by strengthening the implementation of the Gender Equality Law, to and Herzegovina http://www.sba.gov/services/training/
help increase women’s low labor force participation rates.
http://www.fgenderc.com.ba/en/o_gender_ onlinecourses/index.html
b Conduct training on gender sensitivity and diversity within the private sector to centru.html
help change negative company culture and attitudes towards women. Women’s World Banking
b Ensure that education initiatives address gender inequalities, including encourag-
Gender Center of Republika Srpska http://swwb.org/
ing entrepreneurship training for women in secondary education. Contact: E-mail: gcrsoffice@blic.net
World Bank’s Gender Program
b Create a central registry to make it easier to obtain permissions for doing
Website: www.gc.vladars.net
www.worldbank.org/gender
business and help standardize procedures.
Gender Equality Agency of Bosnia .
World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia .
and Herzegovina
Gender Website
Offer Training to Increase Business Success Commercial banks or http://www.arsbih.gov.ba/
micro-credit providers, http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EX-
b Offer education on business and financial management. women’s associations and IFC’s Gender Program TERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/
NGOs, Gender Centers
b Build and strengthen leadership skills of businesswomen, and provide informa- www.ifc.org/gender EXTECAREGTOPGENDER/
tion on new technological and business developments in their industry to help
0,,menuPK:570872~pagePK:34004175
grow women’s businesses. IFC Advisory Services in South-Eastern .
~piPK:34004435~theSitePK:570862,00.html
Europe (PEP-SE)
b Educate women entrepreneurs on the benefits of leasing.
http://www.ifc.org/pepse World Learning STAR Network
Support Women’s Advocacy Donors, government, and
http://www.worldlearning.org/star/
businesswomen ILO’s Get Ahead for Women in Enterprise
b Increase women’s advocacy on private sector development issues by supporting Training Package and Resource Kit
the creation of a women’s business association, and strengthening existing
bodies such as the BH Women’s Economic Network. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/asro/
bangkok/library/pub4c.htm
b Sponsor international learning exchanges between Bosnian women entrepre-
neurs and women’s business associations from other countries.
b Initiate regular two-way dialogue between government and women in business.
b Conduct further research into concerns facing women in business, and ensure
business surveys are sex-disaggregated and analyzed by gender.
Highlight Women’s Success Stories to Raise the Profile of Women . Businesswomen, media,
in Business government and donors
b Increase awareness of women’s potential in business and highlight the success
stories of women in the private sector, such as through this publication, by work-
ing with the media and sponsoring events that celebrate women’s achievements
in business.
30 | Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina | 31

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MKF ‘MI-BOSPO’
Bosne srebrene bb
75 000 Tuzla
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tel: ++ 387 35 270 283
Fax: ++ 387 35 252 448
www.mi-bospo.org

2121 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20433 USA
(202) 473-1000
www.ifc.org